Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-12-29
IT STANDS ON IT'S MERITS.

BluiIing the Hennepin Canal-A Meas
ure that Asks only What Necessity
Demands.
The Chicago Times of yesterday con-
tains this bit of information from its
Washington correspondent:
Senator Cullom and other friends of the
Illinois river improvement, either with or
without the Hennepin canal. are waiting
to hear from the committee appointed at
the convention, of which Judge Prender
grast, of Chicago, is the head, before
making any move. This committee is ex>
pected to draw up bill aad send it to
the senator's and representatives from
Illinois. who will among them introduce
something as nearly like it as their judg-
ment may permit. The Illinois delega-
ton desire TO get the improvement of the
Illinois river and its extension to Lake
Michigan BY the conal first of all. and they
are willing to undertake the Hennepin
canal if they can thereby get enough
votes from the northwest to accomplish
the primary object of getting money for
the Illinois river. But they have got a
| little tired of trying to get money for the
Hennepin canal, and they would be glad
| to make a combination in some other
| quarter that would be of more service
to the Illinois. The embarrassment
they are under is due to the fact that
the only help they have thus far got for
the Illinois river extension has come
from the people of the upper Mississippi
| and a few members from the eastern
states who are interested in the Hennepin
canal rs an east and west route and OPP
posed to the Illinois river as a north and
south route. The interests of the people
of the lower Mississippi are in line with
the north and south route of the Illinois
river continued to Chicago, hut ST. Louis
naturally opposes this, and some Other
considerations have withheld from the
Illinois river improvement the assistance
of the people on the Mississippi from st.
Louis down. The Illinois river has sue
ceeded In past congresses in getting ne
considerable and from the south and MOI
quite enough aid from the northwest ,and
lis friends are now looking around to set
where they can make the necessary com
bination The Hennepin enterprise il
closely connected logically with the NOV
for the assumption by the government o
the Erie canal, but the Hennepin ant
the Erie are so far apart that tn
friends of both have not cooperate
I perfectly. but if the friends of on
e PROJECT succeeded the friends of tn
other would probably find their tas
easier hut the very fact that there is
logical connection between the two de
7 tiers some congressman from supportir
the Hennepin project. The Illinois rive
improvement involves canal from th
headwaters of the Illinois to Lake Mich
gan, which is just as essential 10 the Hell
nepin project, but the people from lowi
g Minnesota, and western Wisconsin ar
N afraid that if they don't couple the HeI
nepin with this bit of canal near Chicas
. they will never get the Hennepin. at
'e unless the south comes forward, as it h
y no. in past years, in the interests OF Il
N Illinois river extension hy canal to Lal
, Michigan. the friends of the latter W
" try to make sufficiently strong combin
81 ton with the Hennepin people on t
re west and the Erie canal people on t
E. east and make another effort to deVel
10 an east and west waterway across llliuo
The Times apparently does not stop
think that no waterway improvmeI
either of local or general importance C
tie be considered without including the He
'st nepin project. The canal has been
re fore congress and before the public t
". long to be shelved in this manner. 7
p Hennepin asks only such friends a
he such support as it deserves; it makes
trade and dicker with anyone.